Society for the Protection of Unborn Children
December 4, 2018 (Society for the Protection of Unborn Children) – In March this year, we reported on a study from Trinity College Dublin which found that babies move around in the womb because they are trying to develop strong bones and joints. Now, scientists at University College London may have discovered another reason why unborn babies kick.
A study published in the journal Scientific Reports suggests that foetal movements enable a baby to construct a basic brain network so that it can understand what part of the body is moving and how it is being touched.
Feeling their surroundings
The team analysed the brainwaves of 19 two-day-old infants, some of whom were premature and were therefore assumed to be acting as if they were still in the womb. Using noninvasive electroencephalography (EEG) researchers found that when the babies kicked, a region of their brains that is linked to sensory input, known as the somatosensory cortex, was activated.
The size of these brainwaves was largest in premature babies in the equivalent of the last trimester, and were no longer triggered by movement once the infants turned a few weeks old.
“Spontaneous movement and consequent feedback from the
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